Troubleshooting and FAQ

A RAW file will not open or looks wrong

Seula uses macOS RAW support. If a RAW file will not open:

• Update macOS. New cameras can require a macOS update.
• Try the embedded preview. Turn on Settings ▸ Viewer ▸ RAW ▸ Fast – camera-rendered image.
• Check supported extensions in Working with RAW photos.

Ratings do not appear in Lightroom

• In Lightroom, select the photos and choose Metadata ▸ Read Metadata from File, or import the folder again.
• Make sure a RAW photo's .xmp sidecar is in the same folder with the same name. See Metadata and compatibility.
• Check that Lightroom color labels are Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple. See Color labels.

I moved photos and lost ratings

Ratings for RAW and most non-JPEG files are stored in XMP sidecars. Move or copy the .xmp files with their photos in Finder. JPEG ratings are stored in the JPEG file.

Finder's Put Back is unavailable after deletion

Finder's Put Back is not always available for photos deleted in Seula. Restore the photo in Seula so associated RAW and XMP files return too:

• Choose Undo (⌘Z) immediately after deletion.
• Choose File ▸ Restore Recently Deleted when Undo is no longer available.

You can also drag the file from the Trash.

A photo has the wrong rotation

Rotate it with ] and [ or the commands in the Image menu. Seula saves rotation as orientation metadata. JPEG rotation also appears in Finder and Preview.

An HDR photo does not look bright

• Full brightness needs macOS 14 or later and a display with the brightness range for it. The Info Panel tells you whether you are seeing the photo as HDR right now.
• Check that Settings ▸ Viewer ▸ HDR ▸ Show HDR photos at full brightness is on. On macOS 12 and 13 there is no HDR section.
• Thumbnails and Survey stay at ordinary brightness on purpose.

A Live Photo's video is a separate item

• Turn on Settings ▸ Viewer ▸ Advanced ▸ Live Photos ▸ Treat Live Photo as one item.
• Seula pairs the video with the photo by their content, not by their names alone. Some cameras name a separate shot with the same counter, such as DSC_0001.JPG and DSC_0001.MOV; those are two shots and stay apart.

The folder list is out of date

Turn on Settings ▸ General ▸ File Operations ▸ Auto-refresh on folder changes, or open the folder again.

Disk space is low

macOS can clear the thumbnail cache automatically. You can also choose Settings ▸ General ▸ Advanced ▸ Clear thumbnail cache now, or turn off Cache thumbnails on disk. See Performance and cache.

I want to restore a shortcut

Open Settings ▸ Commands, click the binding, and press the desired key combination. Reset All restores defaults. See Keyboard shortcuts.

Frequently asked questions

Does Seula edit my photos?

Seula does not change image pixels. It writes metadata only. See Metadata and compatibility.

Does Seula replace Lightroom?

No. Seula is for culling, not editing. Pass its marks to Lightroom or another XMP-aware app.

Where are ratings stored?

JPEG ratings are in the image file. Other ratings are in an .xmp sidecar. See Metadata and compatibility.

Will Seula slow down my Mac?

Seula loads photos and metadata in the background. Its thumbnail cache is reclaimable by macOS. See Performance and cache.